Polarized relay



' R.B.-FARMER Oct. 14, 1958 I POLARIZED RELAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 7.. 1955 r POLARIZED RELAY Robert B. Farmer, Lmbnrd,'lll., asslgnor to C. P. Clare Co., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application October 7, 1955, semi No. 539,100 7Claims.-(Cl.200,-93)

The present invention relates to polarized relays and more particularly to a new and improved two-position polarized relay which combines compactness of design with efiiciency of operation to provide a pulse controlled switching deviceexhibiting many advantageouscharacteristics not enjoyed by relays of the types known in the prior art.

In the past few years there has been an increased use relay designed for use in such computer equipment should United States Patent 0 not be spuriously and erroneously changed if the relay is jolted or vibrated. 7 Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved relay having the abovedescribed. advantageous characteristics.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a polarized two-position relay of the plug-in type which is compact in design and reliable in use.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved polarized relay which is easily and rapidly fabricated from a minimum number of parts so as to minimize the manufacturing cost of the relay.

Yet anotherobject of the present invention is to provide a new and improved polarized relay which may be readily disassembled when necessary without special tools but which will not be spuriously disassembled even after long use under extreme conditions of shock and vibration.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a relay armature and mounting structure therefor utilizing few parts while providing a negligible frictional load to the force exerted thereon in response to pulses of energy supplied to the relay.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved relay enclosure having no screws or other such securing devices to vibrate loose during operation.

A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a polarized relay having an integral case provided with means for rernovably mounting the relay on a support panel.

-Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved switch assembly utilizing few parts and which is mounted on the relay case in a novel manner using no screws or similar securing devices.

Briefly, the above objects are realized in accordance with the present invention by providing a magnetically biased polarized relay in which a resilient channel shaped housing is employed for clamping the relay parts together, thereby to enable rapid fabrication of the relay, to provide facile access to the parts thereof for eflicient maintenance, and to prevent spurious disassembly of the relay as a result of vibration.

The invention both as to its organization and opera Ice 2,856,483

will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded isometric view of a relay embodying the present invention; a

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the relay;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation view of the relay;

Fig. 4 is atop view of the relay;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation view of the relay;

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the relay; and

Fig. '7 is an enlarged sectional view of the relay taken along the line 7-7 of Fig.' 3.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, the invention is shown as embodied in a polarized relay 10which, generally, comprises a permanent magnet 11, for oppositelypolarizing a pair of flanged pole pieces 12 and 13, an energizing winding 15 mounted between the opposing flanges of the pole pieces 12 and 13 and a switch actuating armature 18, the latter being mounted within the winding 15 by means of a sup- 1 port member 19 for selectively actuating a single throw,

double pole switch 20. A generally channel shaped housing 22 constructed of a resilient metal is provided for holding portions of the pole pieces 12 and 13 in engagement with oppositely polarized sides of the magnet 11 and for holding the flanges of the pole pieces in engagement with the support member 19 so as to maintain the overall relay in an assembled condition.

Considering the structural aspects of the relay in more detail, the pole pieces 12 and 13 are counterparts of one another being conveniently punched and formed from a sheet of ferromagnetic material and each including a principal rectangularly shaped body or web portion 23 having depending rectangularly shaped magnet-engaging flanges 24 and a pair of inwardly extending flanges 27 and 28 disposed on opposite sides of the web 23 near the upper end thereof. Although the permanent mag-' rearwardly disposed flanges 31 which engage the rearward portions. of the pole pieces 12 and 13. Furthermore, the

rearward flanges 31 on the housing 22 extend inwardly sufliciently to engage the rearward face of the magnet 11 thereby to coact with the rear edge of a struck-out right angled portion or shelf 34 on the housing 22 which engages the forward face of the magnet 11 to prevent fore and aft movement thereof. The lower edges of the flanges 24 on the pole pieces 12 and 13 rest on the bottom tion, together with further objects and advantages thereof wall 30 of the housing 22 and the composite magnetic structure is secured against movement relative to the housing 22 by a pair of bent-over tabs 36 and 37 which are respectively received in elongated notches 39 provided in the top surfaces of the pole pieces 12 and 13.

As shown, the energizing winding 15 is disposed in the generally rectangular cavity which is defined by the flanges 27 and 28 of the pole pieces 12 and 13 above the top'face of the magnet 11, and in order to secure the winding 15 in this position as well as pivotally to mount the armature 13 therein, the resilient, C-shaped support member 19 is disposed within a rectangular recess 41 provided through the center of the winding 15, and the member 19 engages respectively at both of its ends the flanges 27 and 28 of the pole pieces 12 and 13. As best shown in Fig. l, the legs 19a and 19b of the support member 19 extend toward the front of the relay 10 and are provided with outwardly extending lugs 43 and 44 near the respective ends thereof for engagement with opposite edges of a pair of rectangular protrusions 46 which extend respectively from the Patented Oct. 14, 1958 posite edges of the protrusions 46 so as rigidly to secure.

the front end of the support member 19 between the pole pieces 12 and 13, thereby to secure the winding 15with respect to the pole pieces 12 and 13. The rearward end of the support member 19 is securedto the flanges 27 of the pole pieces 12 and 13 by means of a plurality of onpositcly disposed notches 47 provided in the legs of the support member 19. near the web portion thereof for reception in elongated notches'49 respectively provided in the extending ends of the flanges 27.

and 13, and thus to the support member 22. at both ends thereof, and since the winding 15 is encompassed by and accurately positioned with respect to the pole pieces 12 and 13, the armature 18, which is mounted in the support 19, is accurately positioned with respect to the flanges 27 and 28.

It is desirable to make the support 19 of a conductive material, such as, for example, brass, and short circuiting of the turns of the winding 15 by the support 19 or by the armature 18 is prevented by forming the core 50 of insulation material, which core defines the aperture 41 and 'is thus positioned intermediate theturns of the winding 15 and the support member 19.

In order pivotally to support the armature 18 within the winding 15 so that its condition of orientation is determinative of the polarity of the last pulse of current provided in the winding 15, the support member-19 is provided intermediate the ends-of the respective legs 19:: and 19b thereof with a pair of struck-out portions or tongues, 52 and 53, which extend inwardly and are provided with aligned apertures 52a and-53a, respectively, near the ends thereof for the accommodation of a pair of steel balls 54 and 56 (Fig. 7) on which the armature 18 is pivotally mounted. The balls 54 and 56 engage the armature 18 in opposite ends of a cylindrical aperture 59 which has a diameter slightly less than that of the balls 54 and 56 so that the balls are partially received therein to provide an inexpensive, relatively frictionless pivotal support for the armature 18.

It may thus be seen that when the armature 18 is rotated clockwise in the support 19 as viewed from the top (Figs-l and 4), the rearward end of the armature 18 engages the flange 27 of the pole piece 13 and the for- Therefore,- the support member 19 is rigidly secured to the pole pieces 12 able by means of the application of pulses of current of controlled polarity to the winding 15, and that the permanen't magnetic field produced through the armature '18 between the pole pieces 12 and 13 prevents spurious movement of the armature because of vibration or jarring of the relay 10.

Inorder to utilize the controllable position of the armature 18' selectively to control the coupling of electric energy to one of two or more circuits, the double pole single throw switch 20 is mounted. for actuation by the bifurcated forward end of the armature 18, on the upright side 34a of the struck-out shelf portion 34 of the housing 22 and comprises a pair of.stationary upstanding contact support members 60 and 61 which are respectively provided near the upper ends thereof with suitable contact buttons 60a and 61a for selective engagement with one of a pair of contact buttons 64 and 65, mounted on opposite sides of amovable, common contact member 66. Con sequently, when the armature 18 is rotated to its most clockwise position as viewed in Fig. 4. one of the tines 58 which extend forwardly from the armature 18 and which are each partially enclosed within an insulating sheet 5811 engages the upper end of the common contact member 66 and moves the member toward the right so that the contact button 65 engages the contact button 6111 thereby to complete an electric circuit between the common contact member 66 and the stationary contact member 61. When the circuit between the members 66 and 61 is thus completed, the button 64 is out of engagement with the button 60a so that thereis no electric circuit completed through the switch 20 between the contact members 60 and 66. Similarly, when current is provided in the winding 15 such that the armature 18 is moved counterclockwise,

ward end of the armature engages the protrusion 46 on the flange 28 of the pole piece 12. In this way the magnetic circuit is completed through the armature 18 from the front of the pole piece 12 to the rear of the pole piece 13 thereby to provide a magnetic bias which maintains the armature in this position until a force opposite to and greater than the permanent magnetic force exerted thereon by the composite magnetic structure is applied thereto.

In like manner, when the armature 18 is rotated counter clockwise as, for example, under the influence of a magnetic field produced by the current in the winding 15, the rearward portion of the armature 18 engages the flange 27 of the pole piece'l2 and the forward end thereof engages the protrusion 46 on the flange 28 of the pole piece 13, the magnetic circuit between the pole pieces 12 and 13v thus being completed in the opposite direction, from the back of the pole piece 12 to the front of the pole piece 13, through the armature 18. Therefore, because of the magnetic bias thus provided, the angle of orientation of the armature 18 is indicative of the polarity of the last pulse of current provided in the winding 15. which was sufiicient to overcome the permanent magnetic biasing force provided on the armature 21 by the magnet 11.

As thus far described, it will be seen that the composite magnetic structure, the Winding 15 and the armature 18 are secured within the housing 22 in such manner that the angular position of the armature 18 is selectively positionas viewed in Fig. 4, the other tine 58 engages the other side of the common contact member 66 thereby to move the button 64 into engagement with the button 60a to complete an electric circuit between the members 60 and 66.

As best shown in Fig. 1, the contact members 60, 61 and 66 are res ectively supported in rectangular insulating bars 69, 0, and 71, which bars in addition to supporting the contact members on the housing 22 provide insulation between the lower portions of the contact members so that short circuits therebetween are prevented. In order to facilitate connection of an electric circuit to the contact member 60, 61 and 66, integral terminal portions 60b, 61b and 66b, respectively, depend therefrom and protrude downwardly from the support bars. In addition, the outer support bars 69 and 70 respectively support a plurality of terminal'members 73 and 76 which serve to provide connections (not shown) to respective ends of the winding 15.

Since it is important that the contact members 60, 61

. and be properly aligned and spaced apart so as to insure accurate selective switching by the armature 18, the support bars 69, 70 and 71 are provided with spatially arranged cylindrical protrusions 74 and 75 and with corresponding recesses (not shown) on the opposite faces thereof so that when the support bars 69, 70 and 71 are sandwiched together the protrusions on one face of each of the bars are received in the recesses in the opposite face of the next adjacent bar. Furthermore, in order to insure proper alignment of the switch assembly 20 in the housing 22, a pair of apertures 77 and 78 are provided in the upright side 34a of the struck-out angled portion 34 of the housing 22 for reception of the cylindrical protrusions 74 and 75 in the bar 69, and the entire switch assembly is held together and fastened to the housing 22 by means of a unitary C-clamp 80. The C-clamp 80, which is formed of a resilient material and has the web portion 82 thereof corrugated, as shown, extends around the subassembly of the bars 69, 70 and 71 and a pair of inturned tabs 80a and 80b on the clamp hook over the front and back edges of the upright side 34a of the shelf portion 34. In order to prevent vertical movement of the clamp 80 onthe housing 22, an elongated slot 84 is provided in the forward edge of the upright portion 34 for reception of one leg of the clamp 80 and a channel member 85 is preferably interposed between the corrugated web 82 of the clamp 80 and the bar 70.

In order to facilitate mounting of the relay on a support member, the housing 22 is provided with three downwardly extending legs 86, 87 and 88 at three corners thereof each of the legs being resiliently supported for deflection in a given plane. Thus, the legs are formed integrally with-the housing 22 and are defined by a plurality of vertical slots 90, 91 and 92 in the upright flange portions of the housing 22 adjacent the downwardly extending legs. As shown, the flanges 31 on the housing 22 do not extend an appreciable distance above the respective slots 91 and 92 so that movement of the legs 87 and 88 is possible without excessive deformation of the housing 22 proper. Similarly, a strengthening flange 93 formed at the front edge of one wall of the the housing 22 terminates adjacent the inner end of the slot 90 to permit flexure of the leg 86. Inasmuch as the legs 86, 87 and 88 are angulatcd to provide them with additional strength, they are not themselves flexible but those portions of the housing 22 between the ends of the slots 90, 91 and 92 and the tops of the flanges 93 and 31 provide a bending area which gives the necessary resiliency to the legs to enable the snapping of the relay 10 onto an apertured support panel. In order firmly to engage the support member which ordinarily would be provided with apertures therein for the reception of the legs 86, 87 and 88, a plurality of elongated slots 110 are disposed near the lower ends of the legs. Furthermore, that portion of end of each of the legs, which is parallel with the direction of desired movement of the respective leg, is tapered, whereby the relay 10 may be snapped into place on the support member merely by placing the legs 86, 87 and 88 over the apertures provided in the support member and then forcing the relay firmly against the support.

It may thus be seen that the relay particularly applicable to computer circuits and other equipment utilizing high quality, precision type, polarized relays, is composed of a small number of parts and may be rapidly and easily assembled and disassembled without special tools or equipment.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein which are within the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A polarized relay of the plug-in type comprising a 10 while being pair of opposing magnetic pole pieces, a permanent magnet interposed between said pole pieces in contact therewith, a winding of conductive material disposed intermediate said pole pieces, a resilient armature support member disposed within said Winding with the ends of said support secured between said pole pieces in engagement therewith, an armature, means for pivotally supporting said armature within said support, resilient clamping means at least partially surrounding said pole pieces for resiliently urging said pole pieces toward one another so as to maintain the heretofore recited structure in an assembled condition, and switch means separately mounted on said resilient means, said switch means being adapted to be actuated by said armature when it is pivoted in said armature support.

2. A polarized relay comprising, magnetic means including a magnet and a pair of pole pieces disposed on opposite sides of said magnet in engagement therewith, said pole pieces having inwardly extending opposed flanges protruding therefrom, a tubular winding disposed between said pole pieces, a support structure positioned within the aperture in said winding with the ends thereof protruding from both ends of said winding, the protruding portions of said support structure being secured between said flanges on said pole pieces, and means for resiliently biasing said pole pieces toward one another, thereby to maintain said magnetic means in an assembled condition.

3. In combination with a pair of oppositely disposed pole pieces, an armature support member secured near the respective ends thereof to said pole pieces, said support member defining a partially enclosed space therein, an armature, and bearing means interposed between said support member and said armature for rotatably mounting said armature within said space.

4. in combination with a pair of oppositely disposed and polarized pole pieces, an armature support member, a coil surrounding said member in fixed relationship with said pole pieces, an armature, bearing means interposed between said support member and said armature for movably mounting saidarmature in said support member, and a pair of spaced inwardly extending portions on each of said pole pieces for selectively engaging opposite ends of said armature.

5. In a relay of the type described, the combination of a channel-shaped support member, an apertured struckout portion on each of the legs of said support member, said portions extending toward one another, a rectangular armature, said armature being at least partially disposed within the cavity of said support and having an aperture therein in alignment with the apertures in said struck-out portions, and a pair of spherical members having a diameter exceeding that of said apertures, said spherical members being respectively disposed partially Within i .said apertures intermediate said armature and said struckout portions.

6. A relay housing comprising a channeled structure, a plurality of angulated supporting members depending from the web of said structure, said member being continuations of the sides of said structure, and said sides being provided with apertures adjacent said supporting members, said apertures adjoining said web whereby said members are movable with respect to said housing.

7. A relay housing comprising a'housing channel of substantially rectangular configuration, a plurality of legs integral with said channel and depending beyond the web portion of said channel, said legs being continuations of portions of parallel side flanges of said channel and said side flanges having slots therein which are parallel with and immediately adjacent the sides of said legs, said slots extending a substantial distance into said flanges to effectively increase the lengths of said legs to increase the resiliency thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 853,305 Kaisling May 14, 1907 1,785,702 Osborne Dec. 16, 1930 1,883,137 Waller Oct. 18, 1932 2,143,158 Lefkowitz Ian. 10, 1939 2,154,338 Knos a Apr. 11, 1939 2,428,218 Herbst Sept. 30, 1947 2,436,354 Burke et al. Feb. 17, 1948 2,443,784 Bullen et al June 22, 1948 2,459,023 Gilman Jan. 11, 1949 2,560,324 Babcocl: July 10, 1951 2,578,640 Coake Dec. 11, 1951 2,591,684 Deakin Apr. 8, 1952 2,633,488 Brion Mar. 31, 1953 2,698,366 Howell s Dec. 28, 1954 2,750,539 Holmes June 12, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 632,794 Great Britain Dec. 5, 1949 721,969 Germany May 14, 1942' 

